On a beautiful April morning, a man is brought to an insane asylum in contemporary Spain, claiming to be the legendary navigator Christopher Columbus. Found in the treacherous Straight of Gibraltar, he is clearly delusional and has suffered a trauma so severe that he has turned away from reality. As he spins the tall tales of adventure and romance of someone who existed in the late fifteenth century, the lonely Nurse Consuela can’t help but be enchanted by his spirit. Who is Columbus? Where did he come from? This dazzling story about one man’s painstaking search for truth and loyalty will haunt the reader long after the final page.

The saga of the legendary Los Angeles band Little Feat is one of rock 'n' roll's great stories. Formed in 1969 by ex-members of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, Little Feat created groove-heavy music that was an irresistible mix of rock, blues, R&B, country, jazz, soul, and funk. Fronted by the charismatic but doomed vocalist and brilliant slide guitarist Lowell George, the band recorded such classic studio albums as Sailin' Shoes and Dixie Chicken, as well as Waiting for Columbus, which many consider to be one of the best live albums of all time. Acclaimed journalist Ben Fong-Torres -- working with Little Feat's surviving members, their friends, and associates -- wrote Willin' based on hours of brand new interviews with the key players. The result? The first definitive biography of this beloved rock 'n' roll institution.

The late Lowell George is best known as the lead singer, slide guitarist, songwriter and producer of Little Feat. George's humor and surreal lyrics became a Little Feat trademark, making songs like “Fat Man in the Bathtub” and “Dixie Chicken” unforgettable. Rock and Roll Doctor explores the genius that animated Little Feat – from George's early bands to his work with Frank Zappa, landmark albums such as Feats Don't Fail Me Now and The Last Record Album, and his later production work with Linda Ronstadt and the Grateful Dead. George's colorful childhood is covered in depth – as is his solo career after Little Feat that was cut short tragically. Each Little Feat album is treated to a separate chapter that examines the development of every song – how it was conceived, recorded and produced. The analysis of Little Feat's complex rhythms will fascinate musicians and fans alike. “Lowell George was the best singer, songwriter and guitar player I have ever heard, hands down, in my life.” – Bonnie Raitt

Collects reviews for one thousand enduring classic rock albums ranging from the extremely popular to more obscure works.

Using a blend of historical and literary analysis, Colonial Phantoms reveals how Western discourses have ghosted—miscategorized or erased—the Dominican Republic since the nineteenth century despite its central place in the architecture of the Americas. Through a variety of Dominican cultural texts, from literature to public monuments to musical performance, it illuminates the Dominican quest for legibility and resistance.

In 1966, an old friend invites Matt Vercair to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to assist in disassembling and selling a now defunct Haitian railroad, acquired under unusual circumstances. Once in Haiti, Matt is introduced to chief archeologist Dr. Marc Blanchet. Blanchet is an expert on Christopher Columbus and everything he did on the island of Hispaniola. According to Blanchet, the history being taught about Columbus is a fraud. Instead of exploration, Columbus’s true intentions were to amass gold and sell as many slaves as he could to finance his travels. Blanchet knows where a large cache of Columbus’s gold has been hidden in Haiti for five hundred years. With the help of a map, Matt now embarks on an incredible journey to recover the gold, traveling across previously unexplored terrain. The railroad is of little concern as they search for hidden treasure, but it’s possible Matt is about to find a lot more than riches in the beautiful but dangerous wilds of Hispaniola.

The first biography of the legendary, beloved, long-running band Little Feat, by veteran music journalist Ben Fong-Torres ...